Great trip report, esp the last paragraph warning to avoid the bulls eye to the summit which is a pinch point. I found some really fun class 4 material close to your route entry at the bottom of the mountain, and also a really fun class 4 hug up a ledge at the summit. Cheers.

I think the image and routes you posted are good. You distinguished between what you actually did and what you think other options might be, and that's great. Peak 9 was an "accidental summit" for me.. more like whoops I was in the area, started having fun on the rock, and suddenly I was at the summit :) I was tracing the route at the foot of peak 9 because I went to summit the Guardian. As you said it was an uneventful mountain (though with some nice quartzite) but I had to do it because the goal of that trip was a full west to east traverse of the Grenadiers from the Animas River.

Looking at your picture, I believe I approached via the face immediately left of your first "green alternative" gulley route. I tend to prefer protrusions to gulleys because of the loose material and debris in the gulleys.

Also, your couloir #1 is a very fun way to get to the top of the saddle at Storm King Peak. I highly recommend checking this out.